Two Moms Wanted to Lower Grocery Bills for Families of Children With Food Allergies

TShown

By TShown

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It’s not easy shopping for groceries when you or a child has food allergies. You have to check every ingredient list, and you often end up paying significantly higher costs (a gluten-free loaf of bread typically costs about $7 in 2016). That’s why there are food allergy support groups, and when two mothers met at one in Kansas, they decided to team up to make a difference.Emily Brown and Amy Goode, two mothers of children with food allergies, started an allergy-friendly food pantry in 2015. It’s part of a corporation they created called the Food Equality Initiative, and the pantry operates out of a Kansas City church.

The initiative focuses on helping low-income families who have children with food allergies. Brown knew the struggle of finding appropriate food choices in this situation, as her daughter is allergic to milk, eggs, wheat, soy and peanuts. It’s not easy to find foods without any of those in the ingredients, and it’s even more difficult to find affordable foods that meet those requirements.
While the federal government offers food assistance through its Woman, Infants and Children program, it doesn’t offer much in the way of food options for those with allergies. If someone can’t eat regular bread due to an allergy, the program offers corn tortillas as a substitute, instead of a gluten-free bread.

Brown and Goode weren’t sure how successful their project would be, but one year after they began, the response has been overwhelming. They now have about 20 regular client families, and they’ve already distributed 12,350 pounds of food.Emily Brown and Amy Goode experienced the struggle of grocery shopping for children with food allergies firsthand, and they decided to do something about it. Now, they’re helping their community and raising awareness through their selfless actions. For more amazing women helping those in need in the community, read about the program this mother created.